Tube frame



Aug. 3 1926.

1,594,873 W. BIXBY I TUBE FRAME Filed Sept. 10. 1923 Patented Aug. 3, 1936.

UNITED STATES 159mm PATENT orrice.

WALTER BIXBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SHAWMUT ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORYEORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TUBE FRAME.

Application filed September 10, 1923. SeriaINo. 661,806.

This invention relates to tube frames such as are used for tuft weaving and is intended to provide a convenient, simple and strong construction for operatively suspending the tube frame and yarn spool from the usual and well known carrier chains by which the successive tube frames are presented to the transfer mechanism by which they are properly presented to the fabric being woven in the loom.

The invention embraces several features of construction and arrangement, of which one feature consists in the construction and arrangement of the suspension members of the hanger which affords easy and direct access to the spool journal without weaken ing the suspension hanger or sacrificing the desired degree of rigidity of parts; another feature comprises a novel construction for easily and detach-ably fulcruming the hook arm of the hanger in proper position. These and other features will be described in the following specification and will be defined in the claims annexed.

In the drawings Ihave illustrated the preferred form embodying the principles of this invention, in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the end portion of the frame and spool with the improved hanger operatively attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation viewed from the outside. y i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

e is a plan view. 1

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the attaching plate or member in perspective.

The tubular carrier bar 1 1s of polygonal cross section and forms the back bone of the tube frame besides supporting the usual tuft tubes 1 for guiding the yarn tufts. The yarn spool 2 with its axialjournal 3 normally pressed outward by the helical spring a is of usual construction.

The suspension hanger by which the tube frame and its yarn spool are suspended from a carrier chain 02 comprises generally a spool. supporting arm or member 5,a chain penetrating arm 7 and a hook arm 8 movable to chain engaging position in this case by an interposed spring 6 seated in a recess 5 in the spool arm, the upper end of said hook armbeing carried through an opening in the outwardly offset portion of the arm 7 The hanger arm 7 is formed with a lengthwise medial slot or recess extending from near its lower end .7 to and into the outwardly offset or bent portion of the slot or recess being wide enough to allow the hook arm 8 to iie therein when the latter is pushed inwardly by the transfermechanism to re lease the hook from the chain This leaves the main vertical portion of the hanger with two spaced arms astride of the swinging hook arm and these are firmly secured to the spool arm 5 in any suitable manner as by spot-welding so as to produce a firm and rigid construction. The offset portion of these two branches ofthe hanger arm are united by a cross tie 7" located so as not to interfere with the proper movement of the'hook arm, ,while increasing the stiffness of the hanger.

As heretofore constructed the hanger presented a serious obstacle to the'easymanipulation of the spool journal which has to be pushed inwardly out of engagement with its bearing orifice in the spool arm or bracket. To remedy this inconvenience T have provided aligned perforations 7 in the hanger and .8 in the hook arm arranged opposite the bearing orifice in the upper end of the spool arm, thus permitting the operator to insert a wirethrough the aligned openings to press the journal inwardly when he wishes to remove the spool. As such perforation of the hook arm tends to seriously weaken it for service and as its width at this point must be substantially less than that of the hanger to avoid cutting away too much stock from the hanger arm, I compensate for this perforation of the hook arm by making the portion receiving the perforation substantially wider and then bending up such extensions to form stifiening ears or flanges 8 extending at approximately right angles to the plane of the arm 8, thus making the over all width of the perforated hook arm narrow enough to move between the branches of the hanger arm while preserving the requisite degree of strength to secure reliability.

The composite hanger is secured firmly but detachably to the carrier bar by means of an attaching member in the form of a channel plate 9 whose side wings fit snugly between the front and back walls of the carrier bar and whose middle portion is adapted to lie face to face with the inner face of the lower end portion of the hanger. The middle portion 9 of the attaching plate is provided with a relatively wide vertical opening or slot 9 for the reception of the reversely bent fulcral portion 8 of the hook arm and is also formed with narrew' transverse slots or notches 9 forming bearing recesses for receiving and supporting a transverse fulcral pin. 10. A single opera.- tion of the stamping die forms a cross shaped opening which may be made at the same time that the hook arm is stamped out so that no extra expense is involved in forming a bearing support for the pin 10, which is small enough in diameter to lie within the recess 9, when the parts are assembled and fastened together with rivets, screws or the like. Attaching seiews 11 are passed through the front and rear walls of the carrier bar and are tapped into the opposite wings of the attaching plates, thereby permitting the easy and quick removal of the hanger from the carrier bar, after which the fulcral or hook-arm pin 10 may be pushed out endwise to permit removal and replacement of the hook arm.

It will therefore be seen that a hanger construction of low cost and great simplicity is provided which is capable of quick and easy manipulation in use and one that is easily assembled and taken apart while at the same time securing the desired degree of rigidity and complete accuracy in respect to positioning of parts and durability and reliability in service.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In a tube frame for tuft weaving the combination with a longitudinal carrier bar of suspension members therefor, a spool bearing member having a spool bearing for supporting a spool journahone of said suspension members being provided with an opening opposite said journal bearing and having its side edges turned to form one-or more reinforcing lips opposite the opening, substantially as described. V

2. A hook arm for atuft tube frame embracing an elongated arm adapted at its lower end to be attached to the tube frame and having a chain engaging hook at its upper end, said arm being provided interm'e-f diate of its ends with an aperture located to align with'the spool bearing of the tube frame and being flanged at said apertured portion to stiffen the ap'ertured portion, substantially as described.

3. In a tube frame for tuft weaving the combination of a hanger arm and a pivotal hook arm provided with an inwardly projecting attaching hook at its lower end, an attaching member whose middle portion is cut away to receive the said hook and afford bearings for a fulcral pin, the middle portion of said attaching member being secured to the carrier bar and a fulcral pin inserted in its bearings to pivotally support the hook arm.

5. The combination with a carrier bar, a spool supporting suspension hanger, chain engaging'hook arm, an attaching member whose s des are secured to opposite walls of the carrier bar and whose middle portion is secured to said hanger, both attaching memher and hanger being recessed'to receive the inwardly turned hook shaped lower end portion of the hook arm and a fulcral pin inserted between the attaching member and the hanger and forming supporting engagement with said inwardly turned hook.

6, In a tube frame, the combination of a carrier bar, a vertical spool bearing arm, a slotted hanger arm, secured face to face to said spool bearing arm, a chain engaging hook arm having an inwardly turned out wardly opening fulcral hook," an attaching plate rigidly secured to said spool and hanger arms and furnished with a bearing recess, a fulcral pin mounted in said bearing to support the hook arm and means for securing the attaching plate to the carrier bar, substantially as described.-

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the b ve sp ifi i n- Y VVALIER BIXBY.

carrier bar, suspension means therefor embracing a chain engaging lOQ 

